Screenwriter • Director • Producer • Actor

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About

Born in Coventry in the English Midlands, I studied Drama/English at Hull University and began working as an actor in the theatre with such names as Mike Bradwell, Danny Boyle and Anthony Minghella; And with companies as diverse as Hull Truck, The Bush and Stratford East. I also worked extensively in film and TV appearing most notably as Eric Catchpole in over 50 episodes of the BBC’s long running series, Lovejoy.

Through my own company, Picture That, I produced and directed To Baldly Go, a short romantic comedy which was sold to Channel 4 in the U.K, and also secured an international distribution contract, selling to numerous TV stations throughout Europe and the USA.

After a brief spell working in drama script development at BBC Pebble Mill, in Birmingham, I made two more short films for Picture That; Poppy’s Present, which I produced and directed and Puke Fiction (The Vomit Trilogy), which I wrote and directed.

Puke Fiction, was shown in competition at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton and won the Electric Pavillion Award, for Best Film, awarded by the Halloween Society. It was also chosen for a screening at the ICA as part of the ‘Uncut’ season of short films. It was also shown in the ‘British Shorts’ section of the Manchester Film Festival and The Big Fix Festival in Birmingham.

My broadcast directing credits include: Dream Team, produced by Hewland International for BSkyB. Coronation Street, for Granada, Crossroads, for Carlton, Family Affairs, for Grundy’s Courtroom for Mersey TV, Hollyoaks also Mersey and over 40 episodes of East Enders for the BBC.

My theatre writing credits include: The Dig, a two act comedy for The Cambridge Theatre company, The Liberty Tree for Public Domain, Defiance for The Space and Nadya at The Park.

My TV writing credits include: Mancini’s Empire for LWT, One Inch Of Heaven for the BBC, Roeg’s Rage for Chrysalis, Wired, for the BBC comedy department, The Watsons for BSkyB, plus numerous episodes of The Bill for ITV and Doctors, Casualty and Holby City for the BBC.

My feature film screenplays include a ghost story The Lost. And Human Resources which received a development grant from Screen West Midlands allowing me to develop on into a second and third draft.

In 2014 my theatre play, The Liberty Tree, was one of the winners of the Script6 national playwriting competition run by The Space and was produced in May/June 2015 in Bath and London in a co-production between Public Domain and Bath Spa University.

In November 2014, after several years of research and development, I have completed my play, Nadya, about Stalin’s second wife, Nadya Alliluyeva, which is being presented as a rehearsed reading by The Production Exchange, in September 2015 at The Park, starring Phyllis Logan.

I have lectured on scriptwriting and theatre, Film & TV production at the University Of West London, Leeds Metropolitan University and Bath Spa University.

Hello Chris,
I am a big fan of your work on the Lovejoy series. I am currently re-watching all the episodes courtesy of my public library. I used to watch them with my dad back when they were broadcast here in the US on A&E TV in the ’90’s. I just wanted to say hello and let you know that how much I enjoyed your part in Lovejoy. Cheers!
-Ken Hendricks
Wilton, CT, USA

Hi Chris. Just found you on here and wanted to say I too am a lovejoy fan and some time ago you were good enough to send me a signed photo of the lovejoy cast, of which I still treasure. Wish you all the sucess in your future and thanks again for giving us “Eric” – great charactor, portrayed by a great actor. Peace and love in these wicked times.,.. Joe, south east england 🙂

Eric was unique and so was your portrayal. I have watched your career with interest. You’ve gone from strength to strength and what a diverse career.
We have a new series of Birds of a Feather soon and a christmas special of Open All Hours. Could you envision a christmas special of Lovejoy with the original cast in it? Jane buys Felsham Hall on the quiet and all are sent a mysterious invitation, and the story somehow takes off from there!

Hi Chris
Just found this site! I loved Lovejoy & all the actors from 86 to 1991, still the best drama programme ever. I love antiques, been collecting for many years now, mainly pottery. Over the years I have become attached to studio pottery and still learning about the potters, potteries & there marks. I have my own website mostly dedicated to the medium and some collectables as well.

I would also like others, they would bring back the programme. I heard the Hoff from the Baywatch series/America’s Got Talent was up for it, don’t think that would be good idea some how.

BIG fan of Lovejoy – That’s about the last time there was anything decent on TV! Last week we stayed in the Lovejoy Studio at Belchamp Walter and thoroughly enjoyed Lovejoy location spotting around and about in the beautiful villages. Hope you are keeping fine and dandy 😀

You wrote The Bill episode S.A.D?! This automatically makes you a legend in my book! 🙂 One of my very favourite episodes of the show – I always used to love the festive episodes! ‘Matt get your ars…ah sir.’

I was just a boy when Lovejoy aired here in Denmark. Nevertheless I enjoyed the series and your performances a lot , accompanied by a pint of Danish lager of course. “The Prague Sun ” episodes are my favorites .

Hi Chris,
Claire and I love the lovejoy DVDs and as family we’re massive fans, we’ve just stayed at Belchamp Hall (lovejoy studios) first family holiday, amazing place and probably brilliant workplace. You are a legend in Eric of arabia dismantling the bike to rock music, you must want to get all the crew back together (Claire would love that) and maybe you and Ian could write together?! Be nice to here from you, maybe even a cold bitter in the Half moon sometime I’m buying, thanks again Paul

Hi Chris
I loved the series Lovejoy in the 80s when I was a teenager. I now watch the box set every 6 months or so as they are such great programmes. I loved the fact your character was into rock music and in particular def leppard. Did you actually like rock music in real life? Funny thing is my 11 yr old son ended up a bigger def lep fan than me! He also loves watching the lovejoy box set and especially likes your character. Great to follow your career and see all of the great stuff you have been involved in since the good ol days of Lovejoy! Regards Simon.

Hi Chris I am also called Chris 🙂 grew up watching Lovejoy in my childhood and I still like to revisit it, I have gained so much knowledge from watching this over the years, the reason it worked so well is because you had the 2 experts and then you had Eric, the dopey one that didn’t really know much and always put his foot in it, then you had the dymanic of upper class with lady Jane flirting with disaster all the time and the villainous dymanics of Gimbert vs Lovejoy always battling over something, that’s why it worked so well!

Interestingly I found a tweet from October not sure if it is true?

“New series of #Lovejoy being filmed at the mo with Tinker Dudley Sutton & Ian McShane Cant wait 😀 #AntiquesExpert”

Hi Chris. Just love watching love joy all over again. My word it’s like a step back in time. Remembering having to rush back home on a Sunday evening after a game of cricket to watch it. Thanks for the good old days buddy. I did not realise you lectured at the University of West London. I work there.

My husband and I are re-watching the Lovejoy boxset at the moment, and have just found your website as we wanted to see what all the cast had gone on to do after the show ended. Delighted to see that you have had such a varied, exciting and successful career. Stunned to see how many other shows you have been involved in!
Which was your favourite episode of Lovejoy, and was most fun to film?

Dud is one of my all time fave actors, he gave me a memory in 2004 for my book/bio on Richard Wattis, he was great as Tinker and in THE ITALIAN JOB, etc. I bet you learned a lot about acting from him on set of LOVEJOY in 1980’s/90’s. I am watching him now in re-runs of LOVEJOY again on Drama Channel TV.

hello, just have to say how much i loved your part in lovejoy, i often work in and around the villages in suffolk and essex that feature in the shows and i do try to identify exact locations, often going out of my way to visit, also you were great in stay lucky, so on that note do stay lucky.

Hi Chris I don’t want to auction or sell I want to buy to keep as I’m a massive fan, I even stayed in the converted stables that you worked out of Felsham Hall. I thought your character was excellent and the whole cast were perfect. I’m trying to buy your old Yamaha 400xs and side car at the moment. What nice bits do you have ?
Thanks
Paul